Author's Note: Hi everyone, I've been having some pretty bad writer's block recently, so this is a very short update, as it's the best I could get out of myself right now. Hoping to get back in the groove soon.
Enjoy. :)
"Queen Daenerys, tales of your beauty have not been unfounded." Quentyn Martell reminded her much of Hizdahr zo Loraq, and it was obviously not in a good way. He had even greeted her in the same manner as Hizdahr had oh so many months ago, but Dany forced herself to remain pleasant. It was the second day of the Westerosi party's stay in Meereen, and Queen Daenerys had graciously allowed Robb Stark's fleet to anchor in Meereen for supplies. With so many Westerosi swords now in Meereen in "alliance" with Queen Daenerys's Unsullied, rebellions by the Sons of the Harpy practically ceased due to the overwhelming display of force now in the city. Crime dropped to unprecedented levels, but it was not a lasting change. Dany knew that, which was why she had organized a breakfast in the Great Pyramid between their two factions. A towering Northman who called himself Smalljon Umber had brought this Quentyn Martell to the Pyramid. Where Quentyn had at once made his way to bow before Daenerys, who had been engaged in an informal discussion with Robb Stark. Dany could see that Quentyn's interruption and appearance irked the Young Wolf greatly, and she could guess why.
Bran had told Dany the night before of how Quentyn Martell had snuck aboard one of the ships, as they had spoken late into the night of Bran's powers, of Meereen, of Westeros and the voyage to seek her out. She had grown quite fond of the young Stark lad, he was unlike any of the people she had met in Essos. All of them were. She had never met a woman so beautifully fierce as Dacey Mormont, she had never heard a dwarf speak so eloquently and command such respect with his intelligence. Robb Stark was grim and stoic, but she could sense goodness in him, as well as desperation to return to Westeros. Every moment here tested the Wolf King's patience, Dany could see. It amused her slightly.
"You are most kind, Prince Quentyn. You are welcome in Meereen, for your own aunt was my sister by law. But if you would kindly know not to interrupt King Robb and I again, it would prove most beneficial in your keeping my hospitality." Dany said, her words as sweet as honey. So much so that it took Quentyn a moment to realize what she had said. Abashed, the Prince of Dorne bowed humbly before awkwardly walking away.
"Well handled." Robb grinned into his cup of juice. Daenerys smiled slightly in return.
"I'm glad you approve. But you were saying something before he came along." Dany prompted, with Robb's features sobering once more.
"I wasn't. I was in silent surprise from your request."
"Is it such an odd one to hear?"
"In this situation? Yes. Yesterday it seemed we were dancing back and forth between war and peace. Today you've organized this lovely breakfast, and you've come to me to ask my advice on your city. Is this a trick?"
"What trick could it possibly be? You brought your companions with you, because you knew that you could not convince me to your side by yourself. Congratulations, you succeeded. I am swayed to believe that you are here to make peace, but I cannot leave Meereen and Slaver's Bay in this condition. You…admittedly, have a good council around you." Daenerys glanced around the dining hall to take in his companions, before looking back to Robb himself "From what I've heard before you even sent me that letter, to what your brother told me last night…you are a good ruler. You were raised to rule. I was raised as an exile. You may be a conqueror, but men flock to your side to raise their swords. I am a breaker of chains, with freedmen flocking to my side to hide behind my swords."
"You've given them something they've never known. They've been given orders their whole life with whips and chains to scare them into line. They don't know what to do with themselves now, their skills are going to waste. You've given them freedom, but they still need guidance."
"What guidance?" Dany asked curiously, tilting her head to hear Robb Stark's thoughts.
"They are overcrowding your city because they expect you to have something else for them, some new way of life. Tell them to leave the city, establish supply lines and trade routes outwards. These people have been workers their entire lives, let them work for themselves now. The land outside Meereen was burned by the Old Masters, but they can be brought back for harvest. You can send them out to establish several villages, several to farm, one or two to fish in the bay, and so on. But the most important thing to do is to get them out of the city and get them to be self-reliant."
"You should also start having the Unsullied recruit soldiers from amongst the thousands and thousands of freedmen you have. You should be training soldiers and guardsmen for your city at once to bolster your forces. I can imagine there will be plenty of men and women who will want to fight for you and their freedom." Jon Stark, who had been hovering nearby, interjected with his own advice.
"I suppose that is common sense that I should have had…" Daenerys muttered to herself, before taking a breath. This was not an easy experience for her, after having climbed so far and so high, to admit that she needed help from people she had always believed wanted her dead. But she also could see the wisdom in their words, she could see that they did genuinely want to help her.
"This counsel is precisely what I require. I need to ensure Meereen is safe while I am with you in Westeros. Perhaps we can resume our talks after this meal? And Lord Jon can finally properly explain to me the circumstances of his birth and parentage." Dany said, glancing from Robb to Jon who both agreed at once.
"Thank you." Robb said sincerely, Dany nodded with a slight smile that was quickly wiped away when Daario Naharis exploded into the dining hall with two of his scouts by his side.
"Your Grace, an army approaches on the Demon Road to the west." Daario stated, causing the mellow, jovial tone of the breakfast to shatter at once.
"Smalljon, Dacey, men to arms and armor at once." Robb ordered, with his best friends bowing their heads before instantly striding out of the room.
"What army?" Daenerys demanded on Daario, who turned to one of his scouts to report.
"The Golden Company, my Queen. Sellswords. I saw their banners from the black cliffs, I rode as fast as I could, but they should be here in an hour, maybe less." The man was covered in dirt and sweat and was still slightly out of breath.
"It could be the Yunkai'i and their promise of retribution. There've been tales that they were seeking to hire sellswords to depose you." Daario Naharis reported, exchanging a meaningful glance with Robb and Jon as Daenerys herself looked to Jorah, her ever-present protector.
"How many?" Jon Stark asked as he, Robb, Jorah Mormont and Tyrion Lannister moved to stand on either side of Queen Daenerys.
"Six thousand, maybe more. Only a quarter of them are mounted however." The second scout reported, equally as travel worn as his companion, this man had a look of fear in his eyes that they could all plainly see.
"Khaleesi, what are your orders?" Ser Jorah asked, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Ring the city bells. Have the Unsullied and the Second Sons move to arms. King Robb…will you join us if it should come to battle?" Dany asked, her mouth slightly dry as she looked to Robb Stark whilst Daario Naharis and his scouts bowed their heads to leave at once.
"I will join you to protect the innocent of this city. But I hope that you understand my men did not come here to fight a foreign war."
"I understand. And if we all come out of this alive, I promise you that we will begin preparations to sail to Westeros."
"Not 'if' we come out alive, Queen Daenerys. When." Robb smiled, bowing his head before striding out of the chambers with Jon and Ser Barristan. Bran, Tyrion, Jojen, Meera and the wolves remained behind with Daenerys, who clenched her fist nervously. Ser Jorah remained by her side waiting for further orders. She wondered how the Young Wolf could be so confident in the face of battle, though she did not know that Robb had learned to disguise his fear under a commander's face. He had to, for the Northmen did not respect fear. But fear had kept Robb alive, fear had made him a brilliant tactician and a wise commander of his men.
"Ser Jorah."
"Khaleesi?"
"You have command of my forces…but I give Robb Stark command of the field."
"She said what?" Robb asked in shock, as he stood on the walls of the city. A greatly disgruntled Jorah Mormont clenched his jaw and flared his nostrils. The two men stood with Jon, Ser Barristan, Dacey and Smalljon on the great multi-colored brick wall that overlooked the scorched expanse of land before Meereen's gates. It was here that the Old Masters had watched as Daario Naharis slew their champion in single combat and Queen Daenerys had declared her intent to free the slaves of Meereen. Much time had passed since then, with the three-headed-dragon of House Targaryen flying from the ramparts in almost every corner of the city. The city bells were ringing, and behind them the city itself was in near-chaos as the freedmen fought to seek shelter from a siege. Robb's forces and the Unsullied were falling into rank on the ground below, as the Golden Company marched ever closer. The sounds of their drums could still be heard over the powerful tolling of the city bells.
"Queen Daenerys has given you command of the field." He repeated through gritted teeth. Robb exchanged a glance with Jon Stark, who shrugged slightly. They both took this extremely unsuspected offer as a good sign that Daenerys was their ally, for who would trust an enemy with the defense of their city?
Robb looked back to Jorah Mormont to nod. "Very well. Tell me of the city's forces."
"The Unsullied number eight thousand in total. The Second Sons have two thousand men. Queen Daenerys recently ordered the formation of the Brazen Beasts, our city watch, and they number just over a thousand at the moment. Pit fighters have also formed a contingent of their own and fight under my command, they number at 200." Jorah said, placing his hand on the pommel of his sword.
"Is that the truth?" Robb asked Jorah sternly, who clenched his jaw and averted his gaze for a moment.
"We have admittedly lost some of our men to the Sons of the Harpy and in-fighting…" Jorah admitted uncomfortably. Robb merely shook his head before turning his back on Jorah Mormont. He could not blame Jorah Mormont for trying to keep the secrets of their army from him, but it certainly still annoyed the Wolf King that Jorah would threaten their lives by not offering such information willingly.
"Dacey, archers to the wall. Smalljon augment the guards in the city with our men, restore order to this madness before we are faced with a war within and without, have the rest of the troops fall into reserve formation."
"The Unsullied will march out-." Jorah began before Robb cut him off with a scoff.
"To a slaughter? Those are mounted sellswords out there, and they will decimate even the Unsullied on the field. We have high walls, we will put them to use. Order your men to the walls with bows and arrows, prepare trebuchets and whatever other long-range defenses you have to you."
"Where are the dragons?" Jon asked Jorah, who glared at the Hand of the King for a moment before he answered.
"They cannot be used. Not yet."
"They cannot be controlled you mean." Robb said, earning a glower from Ser Jorah in turn.
"Your Grace." Dacey Mormont called from one of the bastions nearby. Robb turned his gaze to her, only for Dacey to gesture over the walls to the approaching company of sellswords. Their banners of golden skulls were dipped, flew instead was a white banner of peace.
"Stop the bells." Robb ordered at once, with Jon sending a messenger to do just that. Several minutes later, the bells stopped their ominous clanging and Meereen watched as the Golden Company fell into rectangular formation before the city walls, and they watched as three riders flying pure white standards rode out from the horde to the main gates of the city. The High Command of the city watched and waited. No one said a word, for they knew what was about to come.
"Ser Jorah! I think you need to come down here!" It was one of the guards from the city gates, he looked both confused and frightened, which didn't help when Jorah barked at him to explain what was going on.
"They-uh-…they claim to be…representing…Prince-...Aegon Targaryen…?" The gate guard said reluctantly. Jorah looked lost for words, whilst Jon and Robb both stiffened, armed with the knowledge that Varys had given them in Westeros. They knew this Aegon was a fake.
"The Queen gave you command of the field. What are your orders?" Ser Jorah asked after a beat. Robb's head was momentarily blank. He knew that if 'Aegon' was outside these walls then that certainly meant that Jon Connington was there too. A fractured member of the infamous Red Council who now believed his cause to place a tanner's unwanted son on the Iron Throne was true and just. Jon Connington need only look at Robb's banners and war would erupt in Meereen. If he was careful, he could avoid the bloodshed now, and win the infamous Golden Company to Daenerys Targaryen's side.
"Your Grace." Dacey asked, having Robb turn his vivid blue gaze to her. "What are your orders?"